Andrew Bird sat down in his backyard feeling defeated. He sat there alone, with a bottle of liquor he had bought from a pawn shop in one hand and a bloodied fist from continuously punching a wall out of anger in the other.

From ages 3 to 13 Mona Dixon lived on the streets with her mother, her younger brother and her older sister. By day, she went to school, got good grades, made friends — but by night, she worried where her family would sleep. Where they would eat. What would happen next.